Position: Product Development Manager, Technical & Customer Support Services
Location: Detroit, MI or Windsor, ON
Vacancy: This posting is for an existing vacancy
Lead Innovation. Develop Talent. Drive the Future of Automotive.
At ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks (AMTB), we're redefining what's possible in automotive engineering. Our advanced steel solutions and innovative laser-welded blank technologies help the world's leading automakers build vehicles that are safer, lighter, and more sustainable.
We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Product Development Manager, Technical & Customer Support Services, to lead our team across the product development lifecycle.
This is an exciting leadership opportunity for someone who combines strong technical expertise with a passion for developing people, solving complex engineering challenges, and building high-performing teams.
In this role, you will set the technical direction for Product Development, strengthen our engineering capabilities, and ensure exceptional technical support for our customers. From early-stage feasibility and product design through validation, industrialization, production launch, and post-launch support, you will play a critical role in bringing innovative automotive solutions to life.
Working closely with our OEM and Tier 1 customers, global R&D teams, and internal manufacturing and operational leaders, you will help translate complex customer requirements into practical, manufacturable, and commercially viable solutions.
We aren't just looking for someone to manage engineering projects. We're looking for a leader who will challenge the status quo, develop talent, establish stronger processes, and help shape the future of Product Development at AMTB.
At AMTB, we’re not just transforming the automotive industry - we’re making a real difference in the world, and we want you on our team! Here’s why joining us is your best career move:
1. Make a Life-Saving Impact
The products we develop play an important role in vehicle safety. Our advanced steel solutions and lightweight automotive components help improve crash performance and protect drivers and passengers. Your leadership will contribute to technologies that make vehicles safer for everyone.
2. Drive Innovation and Sustainability
Be part of an organization that is advancing automotive manufacturing through innovative materials, engineering solutions, and technology. Our products contribute to lighter, more efficient vehicles and a more sustainable automotive future.
3. Lead, Inspire and Develop Talent
We believe great organizations are built by great people. You'll have the opportunity to shape a talented engineering team, strengthen technical capabilities, develop future leaders, and create an environment where people are empowered to take ownership and succeed.
4. A Culture Where People Matter
Recognized as a Great Place to Work for three consecutive years, our culture is built on collaboration, respect, accountability, and inclusion. We believe in working together, challenging one another, and celebrating collective success.
5. Invest in Your Growth
We believe learning never stops. Through ongoing development opportunities, educational support, and opportunities to grow within our organization, we invest in helping our people reach their full potential.
6. Share in Our Success
We believe in recognizing and rewarding contributions. Our competitive compensation and bonus programs provide opportunities to share in both individual and organizational achievements.
The Opportunity: What You'll Lead
As the Product Development Manager, you will lead AMTB's Product Development Technical and Customer Support Services, ensuring disciplined technical execution and consistent customer support from initial concept through production and beyond.
You will be responsible for establishing priorities, allocating resources, setting technical standards, developing engineering talent, and ensuring alignment across our commercial, engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operational teams. Your key responsibilities will include:
Technical and Engineering Leadership
- Establish the technical direction, engineering standards, and review expectations for feasibility assessments, blank design, laser-welded blank development, application engineering, validation, and production launch support.
- Provide technical leadership and governance on complex engineering challenges involving blank architecture, material grades and thicknesses, weld design, dimensional requirements, manufacturability, and product performance.
- Ensure engineering deliverables are technically sound, complete, traceable, and aligned with customer requirements and AMTB manufacturing capabilities.
- Champion consistent engineering practices, technical standards, and knowledge-sharing across the organization.
Program Execution and Customer Support
- Prioritize and allocate Product Development resources across RFQs, awarded programs, prototypes, qualifications, production launches, and customer issue resolution.
- Serve as the senior technical escalation point for OEM and Tier 1 customer concerns, providing timely direction and effective resolution of complex technical issues.
- Lead cross-functional recovery plans addressing program timing, quality, design, validation, and manufacturing risks.
- Ensure customer commitments are realistic, supported by technical evidence, and aligned with internal capabilities and business objectives.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with customer engineering organizations and key industry stakeholders.
People Leadership and Organizational Development
- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop engineering professionals, establishing clear objectives, ownership, and performance expectations.
- Build a high-performing team culture that encourages accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and technical excellence.
- Identify capability gaps and establish succession planning, cross-training, and knowledge-transfer strategies to strengthen organizational resilience.
- Develop team members' technical and leadership capabilities while fostering an environment where individuals are empowered to contribute and grow.
- Balance immediate customer and program requirements with the longer-term development of team capabilities and organizational effectiveness.
Innovation and Continuous Improvement
- Champion innovation, digitalization, and AI-enabled engineering workflows to improve efficiency and engineering effectiveness.
- Drive the development of reusable design standards, technical playbooks, and lessons learned to improve consistency and reduce repetitive problem-solving.
- Identify opportunities to reduce engineering cycle times, rework, launch risks, and recurring technical issues.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement, challenging existing practices and finding better ways to deliver value to our customers.
What You Bring to the Team
We are looking for a technically strong, collaborative, and results-oriented leader who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on problem-solving. The ideal candidate will bring:
Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline. An advanced degree is considered an asset.
- 10+ years of relevant automotive engineering or manufacturing experience, including demonstrated technical leadership and customer-facing responsibilities.
- Experience in automotive body-in-white structures, advanced high-strength steels, press-hardened steels, laser-welded blanks, stamping, joining technologies, or related automotive applications.
- Proven experience leading and developing technical teams, managing competing priorities, and driving cross-functional initiatives.
- Experience working directly with OEMs and/or Tier 1 automotive customers is strongly preferred.
Technical and Leadership Capabilities
- Strong technical judgment and the ability to evaluate complex engineering challenges and make sound decisions.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop engineering talent.
- Excellent customer communication and relationship-management skills, including the ability to manage senior-level technical escalations.
- Strong program management, prioritization, and risk-management capabilities.
- A structured and analytical approach to problem-solving and decision-making.
- Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple functions and organizational levels.
- A continuous improvement mindset with an interest in leveraging technology, digitalization, and AI to advance engineering practices.
- Willingness and ability to travel to customer, plant, supplier, and technical locations as business needs require.
Our Purpose: Driving a Safer and Greener Tomorrow
At AMTB, our purpose is more than a statement. It guides how we work, how we treat one another, and the impact we strive to make every day.
Our Values:
- Safety in Everything We Do
- We Operate With Respect
- We Do What We Say We Will Do
- We Win Together, We Lose Together
- We Challenge Ourselves and Each Other
- We Find a Better Way
If you're ready to lead a talented team, influence the future of automotive engineering, and make a lasting impact on our customers and organization, we'd love to hear from you.
Come innovate, lead, and inspire with us!
Discover more about us:
Website: https://northamerica.arcelormittal.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AMTBNA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com
ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, or national origin. AMTB is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process. Upon request, accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.
While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. AI tools may be used to screen applications.
